Electric burglar-alarm



3 sheets -sheet l.

W. L. VO'EL'KBR. 7 Electric Burglar-Alarm.

Ptentedi Feb. 3, 1880.

O-LITHOGRAFflE-R, WASHINGTON O C 3 Sheetsr-Sheet 2. W. L. .VOELKER.

Electric Burglar-Alarm.

No. 224,060. Patented Feb.3, 1880.

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W'i/t'nesses Inventor:

NFETERS, FHOTO LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D. C

I 3 SheetsSheet3. W. L. VOELKER.

Electric Burglar-Alarm.

No. 224,060. Patent ed Feb. '3, 1880.

Willi/1101111111] Witnesses:

Inventor:

r r 7 I 0/ I N. PETERS, PHOTUUTHOGRAPNER, WAsmNGToN. u. c.

'cordance with my invention.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

WILLIAM L. VOELKER, OF MORTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC BURGLAR-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 224,060, dated February 3, 1880.

' Application filed November 6, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. VoELKER, of Morton, in the county of Delaware, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Electric Burglar- Alarms, of which the following is a full and exact description.

Heretoforc electric machines for burglaralarms have been provided with non-illuminated dials only, so that if an alarm be sounded during the night it is necessary to procure a light before the reading of the dial can be made and the location of the alarm determined. This not only consumes time which may be of great value, but it is lia-ble to give a counteralarm to the burglar and enable him to retreat undetected.

The object of my invention is to illuminate the dial by the sameelectric discharge which sounds the alarm, and thereby render the dial at once visible and its reading immediate. This may be most conveniently accomplished by means of an electric discharge through an exhausted tube, such as is known as the Griessler tube, upon or in front of which the indicative sign may be inscribed, so as to be exhibited against an illuminated background; or the tube may itself constitute the indicative sign, being bent in the form of the desired letter or figure.

The special mechanism required to make my invention operative may be greatly varied in ways familiar to every electrician, consisting of an electromagnetic alarm, induction-coil,

and Giessler tubes, and I therefore do not propose to limit myself to the particular structure or arrangement of these parts as shown in the accompanying drawings;

Having now set forth the nature, object, and scope of my invention, I will particularly describe an arrangement of electric apparatus which will illustrate the practical method of carrying it into operation, having reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a plan of a burglar-alarm in ac- Fig.2 is an ele- Fig. 3 is Fig. 4 is a vation of an illuminated indicator. a transverse section of the same.

front elevation of the apparatus in working order. Fig. 5 is an elevation of a Giessler tube withinscribed indicator. Fig. 6 1s an elevation showing apparatus for lighting gas when Griessler tubes are not available.

In Fig. there are shown three indicators, a bell-magnet or alarm, an induction coil, three relays, three cut-outs, a lever, and a switch, and it will appear evident these maybe duplicated to any desired extent.

A is the alarm-bell, the hammer of which is set in vibration by the electroniagnet B B. O is the induction-coil. D D D are the indicators. R R R are the relays. S S S are the cut-out springs. G G G G G G are the connecting-screws for attachment of the alarm-wires, and H H are the connecting-screws for the battery-wires.

From the binding screws G G2 wires run to one certain window or door. Such door or window and said wires aremovable, and not in connection. Upon any movement of the same said wires are brought into con: nection, and. the electric circuit is thereby closed.

For illustration, if the door or window on the circuit G Gr is opened the circuit is closed thereby, and the current then circulates from the pole of the battery to H, by wires to, through the coils of the relay It, out by wire b, up through G to the open window or door, then back to the point G then by wire d to H then to the pole of the battery. The result is that the cores of the relay R are magnetized, the armature I is attracted toward it, thereby raising the tongue J, and closing two pointconnections, 0 and f, and the spring cut'out S, which is held out by the top of the relay, tongue J, is released. Said spring S then drops and closes another point, g, which short-circuits the battery 11 H with the be1l-magnet B, and

strikes the alarm when the bell-magnet B is short-circuited. The relay-cores R R cease to be magnets, but the'two point-connections e and f on the relay-tongue are still closed, the tongue J being now held up by the cut-out spring g. The object of these points 0 and f is to close the circuit on the induction-coil and battery No. 2. The point e closes the primary circuit h of the induction-coil and starts it to work. The second and principal point, f, closes the circuit on the secondary iof the inductioncoil and return-wire 70 from the vacuum-tube h, which illuminates the indicator D, and as these points are far enough apart and well insulated from each other, there is no interference from the two currents.

The indicator Dmay represent any character desired, whether an arbitrary figure or some connected group of figures or letters. It may be inscribed in black or colors upon a transparent plate in front of the illuminator, as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3; or if the illumination is derived from the diffused spark in a Giessler tube the character may be inscribed upon the tube itself, as in Fig. 5; or the tube may be bent in the form of said character, as in Fig. 4:. W

In the foregoing description particular reference has been had to Fig. 4, wherein this apparatus is shown in triplicate-that is, in connection with three different points to be guarded-and it will be readily understood that the relays and their connections are merely duplicates of each other. The corresponding wires of each setare correspondingly indicated by letter and numeral, as a a a 85c.

The lever F, which passes under each and every cut-out, is intended to raise the cut-out spring after an alarm shall have been given, and thus allow the relay, armature, and tongue to fall back to their normal position, assisted by gravity or by a sprin The switch E is for the purpose of breaking 'the circuit on the bell-magnet, and other switches may be used to cut out any room or door in the house, or cut out the entire house.

The circuits in the indicator are so arranged that there shall be no interference with the correct working of every circuit.

In connection with the Griessler tubes ph0sphoreseent substances may be employed to retain for a time a degree of luminosity during and after the passage of the electric spark.

It is evident that this same apparatus may be adapted for fire-alarm without any change whateveriu the alarm apparatus an d indicator.

In Fig. 6 a modification or difi'erent method of self-illumination is represented, which may be performed if for any cause it is desirable to continue the illumination for a considerable time.

The apparatus throughout may be the same with the exception of the gas-burner L, substituted for the Giessler tube.

The secondary wires it" are divided directly above the jet opening of said burner, so that at each impulse of the induced current a spark will leap through the issuing gas, and its ignition will be certain.

The actfon of the primary current of the induction-coil G operates the gas-cock by means of the spring-pawl M, which is carried by the armature and the ratchet N on the end of the gas-cock. Each vibration of the armature moves said ratchet one notch, and it continues so to move until the stop a attached to said ratchet engages with said pawl M and arrests the armature. This arrest will take place when the armature-spring is out of contact with its point q, and the circuit will thereafter remain open.

Each indicator may be provided with a shutter, I, if only one gas-burner is employed before or behind the indicators, and said shutters may be easily worked by means of wires 7' and a bell-crank, t, said wires being attached to the spring S, so as to uncover the indicator by a direct pull. The indicators may remain uncovered until the shutters are restored by positive act, or they may close'automatically by weight or spring when the spring S is fixe to permit tongue J to drop.

Havingdescribed my invention, what I claim as new is 1. An electric burglar-alarm apparatus and a series of circuits connecting said alarm with the several doors, windows, &c., to be guarded, combined with an illuminating apparatus connected with said alarm and brought into action to illuminate the indicators by the same electrical discharge which causes the alarm to sound.

2. An electric burglar-alarm, A B, combined -with an induction-coil, G, relays It R, and

cut-outs S, and Griessler tubes to illuminate the indicators, substantially as shown and described.

3. An electric burglar-alarm, A B, provided with an induction-coil, O, relays It, and cutouts S, substantially as set forth, combined with indicators formed of Giessler tubes, as

set forth.

4. An electric burglar-alarm, A B, provided with an induction-coil, O, relays R, and cutouts S, substantially as set forth, combined with indicators formed of Giessler tubes, as set forth, and some phosphorescent substances placed on or in connection with the indicator, whereby the same may be illuminated for a time after the passage of the'electric spark.

w. L. VOELKER. 

